IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, PART III
by Michelle Heath
Summary: Story #10 in the SALVATION series, Part III
1. Chapter 1

**PART III - CHAPTER ONE**

 **Title: "Salvation Series: It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"**

 **Author: Michelle Heath**

 **Rating: MA for adult situations and language**

 **Summary: Story #10 in the Salvation Series.**

 **Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-O; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!**

 **Date Written: March 4, 2017**

 **(Author's Note: Thank you to those of you who have sent reviews on this story and this series. I haven't been updating as much and as quickly as I did at one time, and I apologize. I love receiving reviews of my work and appreciate you taking the time to send one. And now, on to Part III of this story . . .)**

(Sam has been in Washington for three days and is heartily sick of testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee. After making her presentation on the first day of meetings, she has answered the same questions about the same specific things for the past two days and she is not a happy camper. The only bright spot in her day has been an unexpected invitation from Adm. William Compton, the U.S. Navy's liaison to Homeland Security and an old and dear friend of both Sam's biological and adopted fathers. Having correctly picked up on the slight note of frustration in Sam's voice during their phone call, the Admiral told Sam to change into civvies and he'd pick her up at her hotel at 1900 hours and take her to dinner. Sam is dressed in a pale lavender, short-sleeved dress with white, heeled sandals and a white clutch purse and downstairs in the lobby when Adm. Compton arrives. Sam hasn't seen the Admiral since the day of her biological parents' funeral when she was seventeen years old but, like her adopted father, the man looks as if he's aged very little in the years since. The gentle expression on his face and his outstretched arms bring a rush of emotion to Sam and she has to take a deep breath to keep her tears at bay as she steps into the Admiral's embrace and returns his hug.)

"Hello, Sir."

"Sir? What happened to 'Uncle Will'?"

"It's been a long time, Admi . . Uncle Will."

"That it has, Samantha, but _both_ of your fathers and I were very close when we were in the teams, and you must know that I will always think of you as family. I know that I haven't been around for some time, but I hope the feeling is mutual."

"It is."

"Good. You are radiantly beautiful, Sam; marriage and motherhood are obviously agreeing with you."

"Very much so. Steve and Emily are my life; I'd be lost without them."

"Well, in the spirit of full disclosure, I have to tell you that I've gone through your husband's service record with a fine-toothed comb and I've also talked with Mike Thrasher in great detail about that young man. I approve. After all, the man _is_ a S.E.A.L."

"Yeah, that pretty much sold Dad on him, too. I'd love for you to meet Steve."

"It just so happens that I'm going to be at Pearl in a few weeks, and I will definitely be meeting him while I'm there."

"I just hope _I'm_ back home by the time you get there. The way these hearings are going I'm not sure I'm _ever_ going to get back to Hawaii."

"Sam, my dear, politicians think it's their sworn duty to beat something past death in order to be able to tell their constituents they thoroughly investigated the expenditure before committing the tax payer's dollars."

"Well, I don't know about beating the budget to death, but they're doing an excellent job of making me stark, raving mad."

(Surprisingly, although he definitely misses his wife, Steve has been kept rather busy in Sam's absence. He and Emily had a wonderful evening the night Sam left for Washington as they watched one of Emily's favorite movies after a dinner of hot dogs and French fries, and Emily fell asleep in Steve's arms. She was also in a very good mood when Steve dropped her off with Rosa at Kono's and Tony's on his way in to the Palace the next morning. Steve had been at his desk about an hour when he got a call from H.P.D. about a murder victim they'd just discovered who had ties to a human trafficking ring. For the past two days, the Five-O task force has been working as the lead investigative agency on the murder and they are very close to discovering why the victim was in Hawaii; it isn't something any of them want to believe. Apparently, young women in Honolulu are about to become the prime targets for the human traffickers and it's up to Five-O to keep that from happening. All four of the task force members are putting in some extremely long hours and Emily is staying with her grandparents for the duration. Steve is, of course, spending what little free time he has at his in-laws but is sleeping at his and Sam's house because it is quicker and easier for him to respond to the area of Honolulu where they suspect the trafficking ring is going to try to abduct their victims. Although he and Sam have been able to talk a few times each day on the phone, and Sam has also talked to Emily, Steve is missing his wife a great deal and wants her back home as soon as possible. Of course, he isn't about to say anything to Sam that might upset her and he does his level best to be upbeat and encouraging every time they talk. He has just spoken with Sam and she was much more upbeat because Adm. Compton was taking her to dinner. Satisfied that his wife is, at least for the moment, not as stressed as she has been for the past three days, Steve walks out to the smart table where Kono and Danny are looking at pictures of possible suspects in the murder as well as pictures of men who are suspected of being members of the human trafficking ring. Chin is in his office on the phone with someone from the Honolulu office of the F.B.I. Both Kono and Danny appear to be annoyed by the lack of progress they are making; Kono in particular. As Steve walks up to the opposite side of the smart table, she throws her hands up, utters a sound of frustration, and crosses her arms in front of her. Steve and Danny exchange a wary glance because they both know that Kono is thoroughly pissed off at the situation and an angry Kono is very dangerous, indeed.)

"This is getting us nowhere! We've been over this same information for two days now and we're no closer to finding the scumbags who want to kidnap, rape, torture, and _sell into human bondage_ the women on this island! When are we going to get the information the F.B.I. has, Steve?"

"Chin's on the phone with them right now, Kono."

"And this is the _third_ time that someone from Five-O has talked to someone from the F.B.I., and we _still_ don't have anything from them! I telling you right now that, should Chin not have any better luck than you and Danny did, _I_ am going to personally go over to their office and I'm not leaving until I get what we need! And I'm _not_ going to be nice about it, either!"

"Whoa, Kono, take it down a notch! Chin's pretty good at persuading people to come around to his way of thinking. I'm sure he'll be able to get what we need."

(But the words have barley left Steve's mouth when Chin, an irritated expression on his face, walks out of his office and joins them.)

"Those idiots at the F.B.I. are still stone-walling us, Steve. I talked to the _Assistant_ Special Agent In Charge of the Honolulu field office and all but begged him to give us the information they've amassed on this trafficking ring, but he's saying that the Special Agent In Charge is on the mainland on vacation and he doesn't have the authority to turn anything over to anyone."

"Steve!"

"Hang on, Kono! How long is this guy's boss going to be on vacation, Chin?"

"Nine more days."

"Well, _that's_ not good. Anybody know anyone at the Bureau in Washington?"

(And Steve, Kono, and Chin all look at Danny with "you've got to be kidding me" expressions on their faces.)

"It was just a thought, geez. Okay, I say we send Kono over to the F.B.I. field office and let her kick some ass."

"Now you're talking!"

"Kono, you are _not_ going anywhere and you are most definitely _not_ going to kick anyone's six. We need to take a minute and think this through."

(And something truly terrifying happens . . . Kono, who just seconds before was literally vibrating with suppressed anger, is now standing completely still and her facial expression has gone from utterly furious to quietly determined. All three of her co-workers look at one another and then back at her, and their faces reflect concern as they all know Kono exceedingly well. Sure enough, when she speaks, her voice is quiet and resolute.)

"We have indisputable proof that a ring of human traffickers are getting ready to start kidnapping women on this island and sell them into human bondage all over the world. We discovered this proof in the personal belongings of our murder victim from two days ago and we have been able to verify a good bit of the information we have. We need the information the F.B.I. has from their investigation of these bastards so we can put it all together, find these animals, and stop them before they can put their vile, sick plan into action. The F.B.I., for whatever reasons, does not want to play nicely. All three of you have tried talking to them and had no results; now, it's my turn."

"Um, what are you thinking, Cuz?"

"I'm thinking I'm going to get the information we need as quickly as possible."

"Kono, you absolutely cannot go barging into the F.B.I. field office and threaten them."

"I not going to, Steve. I had my little 'venting' episode but I'm just fine now. What's the name of the Admiral who's now the Navy's liaison to Homeland?"

"William Compton. Why?"

"And he and Mike know each other fairly well, do they not?"

"Yeah. They were on the same S.E.A.L. team for a while and he was also friends with Jonathan Murdock."

"Then Mike will know how to get in touch with him."

(And now Steve is completely on board with Kono and even manages a smile.)

"I know exactly how to get in touch with him, Kono. Sam's having dinner with him right now."

"Are you actually waiting for me to tell you to call your wife, Steve?"

(And just like that, not only Steve but Danny and Chin, as well, get serious really fast. Steve has his cellular phone out of his pocket and is calling Sam in record time.

Sam and Adm. Compton have just finished a delicious meal at one of Washington's more upscale restaurants and are just about to leave when Sam's cellular phone rings and she smiles as she sees her husband's name pop up on the caller I.D.)

"Hey, Sailor, your timing is great. Uncle Will and I just finished dinner. . . . Um, okay. Hang on a second. . . Steve wants to talk with you, Uncle Will."

(Five minutes later, Adm. Compton ends the call with Steve and hands Sam her phone. From his end of the conversation, Sam has correctly concluded that Steve has asked for Adm. Compton's help with a Five-O case and the admiral is more than happy to comply. Sam has a somewhat rueful smile on her beautiful face as she looks across the table.)

"Sorry, Uncle Will."

"Don't worry about it, Sam. The boy's got hold of something that Homeland definitely needs to be aware of, and the F.B.I. needs a little reminder that we're all supposed to be working together.


	2. Chapter 2

**PART III - CHAPTER TWO**

 **Title: "Salvation Series: It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"**

 **Author: Michelle Heath**

 **Rating: MA for adult situations and language**

 **Summary: Story #10 in the Salvation Series.**

 **Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-O; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!**

 **Date Written: March 6, 2017**

(Ending the call with Adm. Compton, Steve turns to look at his three, waiting co-workers and grins broadly.)

"Adm. Compton is not only going to talk to someone at Justice about getting the F.B.I. on board with us, he's also going to make sure Homeland is involved, as well."

"How soon, Steve?"

"As soon as possible, Kono. Right now, he and my wife are sitting in the middle of a Washington restaurant which is not exactly the best place to have a discussion with anyone about our case."

"Okay. I'll give you that one, but we need the information the F.B.I. has as soon as possible."

"I know that, Kono, and I promise you that we will have the F.B.I.'s full cooperation very soon."

"I hope so, Steve, because I, for one, do not want to have to tell anyone that their daughter is missing and we have absolutely no idea of where to look for her."

"I'm with Kono on this one, Steve. The sooner we get what we need from the F.B.I. the better."

"I hear you, Chin, and I agree with you completely."

"You all realize that Grace is old enough for these bastards to consider her fair game. I will _die_ before I let _anyone_ hurt my daughter."

(Danny's quietly yet firmly spoken words drive home the seriousness of the situation, and Steve, Kono, and Chin all nod in solemn agreement. Their protective instincts toward Grace Williams kick in hard and their determination to stop the traffickers grows with every passing second. Chin sums it up quite nicely.)

"We've got your back, Danny, and Gracie's, too."

"Yeah, I know. We're all family and family takes care of one another. I'm really thankful all of you are part of my Ohana."

"Right back at you, Danny. Tony and I know that, should something happen to us, all of you would take care of Eric and protect him with your lives. We're right there for Grace and Emily, as well."

"And Sam and I appreciate that. None of our children will ever be without a loving family."

(Danny is truly worried about his daughter and the conversation is getting fairly deep, but he really doesn't want his focus on the case to be dimmed. He resorts to a typical Danny response.)

"Are you getting all 'touchy feely' on me?"

"Here we go."

"No, Danny, I am not getting all 'touchy feely' on you! I was simply agreeing with Kono and Chin, and _you_ that none of us will ever have to worry about our children. And, no, Kono here we do _not_ go! We are not going to start acting like two-year-olds again!"

(And Steve's cellular phone rings before Danny can spit out a smart-assed retort. After answering and listening for a few moments, the dark frown on Steve's face is replaced with a satisfied smirk. After thanking whoever is on the other end of the conversation, Steve ends the call and looks straight at Kono.)

"That was the Special Agent In Charge of the Honolulu office of the F.B.I. Apparently, Adm. Compton got to the right person at Justice and they tracked the guy down on his vacation. He has been instructed to submit all information the F.B.I. has on the trafficking ring directly to our secure server. We should have the data in the next few minutes."

"About time!"

(Adm. Compton says no more to Sam about the reason Steve wanted to talk with him and she doesn't ask questions because she knows Steve will tell her about it sooner or later. After giving Sam a few pointers on keeping her temper under control while answering questions from the Appropriations Committee members, Adm. Compton drops her back at her hotel. She heads straight up to her room, changes into a nightgown, brushes her teeth, and settles into bed with a file she wants to review and places a call to her mother. Libby answers on the third ring and Sam can hear Emily laughing in the background.)

"Hello, dear, did you have a better day today?"

"Actually, Mom, I did, but only because I had dinner with Uncle Will."

"How is Will?"

"He's fine."

"I hear a 'but' in your voice, Sam."

"But, I'm pretty sure he's still in love with that witch he was married to before she left him for that jerk from the British Embassy."

"Well, don't hold anything back, Sam; tell me exactly how you feel."

"Come on, Mom, you dislike that woman as much as I do. In fact, I believe it was you who wanted to go find her and, what was it you said, 'Slap some sense into her.'"

"I did, but I've since decided that Will is better off without her. He's just going to have to get her completely out of his system so that he can find a woman who is truly worthy of him."

"Well, you're going to get the chance to tell him that yourself because he's going to be coming out to Pearl in a few weeks."

"How perfectly wonderful! Do you know exactly when he's coming and how long he's going to be here?"

"No, Ma'am, but I'm having dinner with him again before I leave Washington so I'll try to extract that intel for you."

"Samantha McGarrett, do not get snippy with me, young lady!"

(But Libby's words are an empty threat as both mother and daughter are now laughing. Emily, having heard her mother's name, begins saying "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" and jumps off her grandfather's lap and runs over to the sofa where her grandmother is sitting. Smiling indulgently, Libby helps the little girl up onto her lap and gives Emily her cellular phone. Sam and Emily have a sweet conversation with Emily telling her mother all about her day and Sam telling Emily how proud she is that Emily is being a good girl for Ganma and Ganpa. Emily doesn't understand the fact that there is a five hour time difference between Honolulu and Washington and that it is nearly ten o'clock at night in D.C. The sun is still shining in Hawaii so, when Sam tells her daughter good night, Emily starts fretting and tears begin to form in her eyes. Of course, this tugs hard at Sam's heartstrings and she, herself, is tearing up before Mike manages to distract Emily so Libby and Sam can finish their conversation. Once Mike has Emily safely out on the back deck, Libby pretends not to hear Sam's sniffles as she picks up their conversation about William Compton right where they left off.)

"Sam, I really would appreciate it if you could find out when Will is supposed to be out here. Mike and I would love to have him stay here with us instead of the BOQ at the base."

"I'm sure he would appreciate that, Mom. Why don't you or Dad call him and invite him to stay with you? I know he would love hearing from you."

"You're absolutely right, Sam. I'll have your father call him tomorrow."

"Good. Mom, listen I know that Em's staying with you and Dad because Steve caught a case that's taking up a good bit of his time. In fact, he called and talked to Uncle Will about getting Homeland involved a little while ago while we were at dinner. Do you know what's going on?"

"Actually, dear, I don't. All Steve told your father and I was that they had a major case and that he would be here as much as he could to spend time with Emily. I have to tell you, Sam, that he's had a difficult time leaving Emily here with your father and me. I suspect that he's got a misplaced sense of guilt because you're in Washington right now and he's working this case."

"Mom, Emily has had Steve wrapped around her little finger since the moment she was born and we all know it. Heaven help us when she's old enough to start dating because Steve McGarrett is going to put the fear of God into any boy who even looks at her twice. He can't help it; it's the Y chromosome thing."

"Men do get a little crazy where their daughters are concerned."

"But that's okay, Mom. I've been blessed to have two fathers love me, and I know that Dad is there for me no matter what."

"Yes, he is, Sam, we both are."

"I love you, too, Mom. Now, before this conversation gets totally out of hand and we both end up like watering pots, please give Emily a kiss for me when you put her to bed."

"I will, Sam. Goodnight, dear."

(Steve, looking very tired, gets to his in-law's house shortly before eight o'clock and Emily runs to her father the moment he sets foot through the door. A genuine smile lights up Steve's face as he picks up his precious daughter and hugs her close. After kissing her father on the cheek, Emily launches into a surprisingly detailed account of her day. According to Emily, she and her grandfather went on a "sneak and peak" down at the marina when they went there to check on the Thrasher's boat. Emily explains that they think they have caught the tango who has been stealing bait from the boat in a neighboring slip. Both Steve and Libby are smiling because Mike is beaming from ear to ear as Emily, who has wriggled out of Steve's arms, is now down on the floor in the den showing her father and grandmother exactly how she and her Ganpa were able to get the intel they needed to solve the mystery. It is quite obvious that Mike has been teaching Emily all the terms used by Navy S.E.A.L.s and that Emily has picked every one of them up quite well. Emily's exaggerated body movements as she attempts to sneak up behind one end of the sofa are adorable and Steve is laughing in pure delight. Libby laughingly picks Emily up and gives her a hug.)

"Goodness, Emily, I think you make a perfect, little Ninja! Your Mommy is going to be so surprised when she gets back home."

(And _that_ was definitely not the right thing to say because, at the mention of her mother, Emily's little face screws up and she starts to cry. Libby is aghast that she caused her granddaughter's distress but Steve scoops Emily up before she can gather enough air to emit a piercing wail. He heads down the hallway toward the guest bathroom telling Emily she can stay up a little later than usual if she's a good girl and takes her bath and gets into her pajamas without crying. That does the trick and Emily immediately stops crying. Twenty minutes later, Steve carries his now clean and sweet-smelling daughter back into the Thrasher's den and puts her into her high chair which is sitting at the end of the breakfast bar. Libby is already seated and Mike sets filled plates down in front of her and Steve before getting his and a smaller one for Emily and joining them. Almost as soon as she's through eating, Emily begins to get sleepy and Steve quickly finishes his dinner so that he can tuck his daughter into bed. By the time he has tucked Emily in and read her a bedtime story, Libby and Mike have cleaned up the kitchen and are sitting in their den talking. As soon as Steve sits down on the opposite end of the sofa from Libby, they can both see how tired he is, and Libby doesn't like it one bit.)

"How's your case going, dear?"

"We're getting there. We hit a bit of a snag with the F.B.I. but Adm. Compton was kind enough to take care of that for us."

"Steve, I know you said you wanted to stay at your house because you could respond more quickly to a crime scene if necessary, but I want you to think about staying out here with us until Sam gets back. You obviously have a serious case you're working, you're trying to spend as much time with Emily as you can, and your best friend isn't here to talk to or take care of you. You're wearing yourself out, dear, and I don't want my daughter angry with me because I didn't take care of you in her absence."

"Sam won't be angry with you, Libby; you're her mother and she loves you very much."

"And I love her, Steve, but she _will_ be upset with me if she gets home and you've worn yourself out. And don't you start that crap with me about being a S.E.A.L. I well know that you've been trained to subsist on fifteen minute combat naps here and there but there's no reason for you to do that at this particular moment in time. Both Sam and I will sleep much better if you stay here with us, and Emily won't be mad in the mornings because you were here when she went to sleep but not when she wakes up."

"And now I know the _real_ reason you want me to stay here."

"The real reason I want you to stay here, Steve, is because you're one of my children and I'm worried about you. My 'Mom' radar is up and tracking and I don't like what I'm seeing. You're missing Sam, you're not getting to spend as much time with Emily as you'd like, you're obviously worried about this case you have, and you're not getting enough rest. Now, you may go home tonight but I expect you to bring your duffel bag with you tomorrow evening and make sure you pack enough clothes for several days. You're staying with us until Sam gets home and that's the end of it."

"Aye, aye, Ma'am."

"You're treading on dangerous ground, Commander. I'd wipe that grin off my face if I were you."

"Are you going to help me out here, Mike?"

"Seriously? You know better than that, don't you, Son?"

"Okay, I surrender. Starting tomorrow night, I will be your houseguest until my wife gets home. Happy, Libby?"

"Extremely, dear. Now, your daughter is asleep and you look like you're not too far from it yourself. I want you to go home and right to bed and make sure you call me when you get there so I'll know you got home safely."

(And although he's grinning, Steve is very glad that he has Libby and Mike in his life and he makes sure to give his mother-in-law a hug and kiss on the cheek as he heads home.)


	3. Chapter 3

**PART III - CHAPTER Three**

 **Title: "Salvation Series: It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"**

 **Author: Michelle Heath**

 **Rating: MA for adult situations and language**

 **Summary: Story #10 in the Salvation Series.**

 **Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-O; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!**

 **Date Written: March 13, 2017**

 **(Acronyms in this chapter, folks. SAIC = Special Agent In Charge, ASAIC – Assistant Special Agent In Charge. BOLO = Be On The Lookout. Michelle.)**

(Steve was very grateful for the time he spent at his in-laws and with his baby girl, but, as he drives home, the case comes back to the forefront of his thoughts. Although he talked to the guy in charge of the Honolulu office of the F.B.I. and was promised the information the Bureau has compiled on the trafficking ring, the information had not come in when he left for his in-laws. In fact, the only reason he _did_ leave was because they had all four been working a lot of overtime on the case and he thought everyone needed to go home and spend time with their significant others, take a break, and do their best to put the case completely out of their minds for a little while. Now, however, he's all alone in his truck and will be all alone once he gets to the house, and the case is the _only_ thing he can think of at the moment.

The murder victim, Zander Tan, was born in Honolulu but his family left Hawaii when he was four months old and moved to Singapore to be near his mother's family. Apparently, his father got involved with a group of small-time smugglers shortly after arriving in Singapore and worked his way up in the group until he was noticed by a rival gang. He was so good at smuggling that the leader of the rival group decided to, as they say, make the elder Tan an offer he couldn't refuse. The family benefitted greatly from the father's illegal activities and was living quite well in Singapore.

That's all the information Five-O has on Zander Tan at the moment and Steve is hoping the F.B.I.'s information, along with any that Homeland can come up with, will pick up where Five-O's left off. Gov. Jameson has been at a regional Governor's Conference in Denver but is due to be back the next morning. Steve called her as soon as they identified Tan and found evidence of his ties to the human trafficking ring. To say the Governor was shocked by what he told her was to put it mildly. Steve is personally struggling with the case himself. He well remembers the sheer terror he felt when Sam, very pregnant with Emily, was kidnapped by the Kasavich family with the intention of taking their baby away from her and selling her into the slave markets of the Orient. By the time he reaches the house, he is nearly sick to his stomach at the thought of anyone having to go through the mental torment he did. Locking the front door, he heads up to the master bedroom, finding a renewed determination to catch the traffickers as quickly as possible and make sure they never have the opportunity to hurt another person.

Stepping into the master bedroom, he heads to the desk in the sitting area and logs onto the desktop computer. Checking Five-O's secure server, he finds that the F.B.I. has not yet sent over the information he was promised. Pulling out his cellular phone, he hits a speed dial number and waits. Danny answers on the second ring.)

"Hey, what's up?"

"I just checked our server. The F.B.I. hasn't sent their files on the traffickers, yet."

"And this surprises you why?"

"To be honest with you, it doesn't, but . . . I started thinking about what I went through when Sam was kidnapped, and, damn it, Danny, I wouldn't wish that kind of torture on my worst enemy. I want these traffickers stopped before they can get started."

"Yeah, I know. We all went through Hell when Sam was missing, and I agree with you; no one should have to experience something like that. It's after ten o'clock so I'm pretty sure . . What's the ASAIC's name?"

"Ed Carstairs."

"I'm pretty sure Carstairs isn't in his office right now. Wanna' go look for him?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"I'll pick you up in ten."

"Tell Caroline I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about Caroline. She knows this is important."

(True to his word, Danny pulls into the McGarrett's driveway ten minutes later, gets out of the Camaro and walks around to get into the passenger side of the car. Grinning, Steve gets in and, for once, waits until Danny fastens his seat belt before driving off. While waiting for Danny, Steve got on the computer and got the home address for ASAIC Ed Carstairs as well as the make and model of his personal vehicle and the tag number. Carstairs also has a government vehicle assigned to him and Steve has the description and tag number of that car, as well. By the time they reach Carstairs' house, it is nearly eleven p.m. and most of the houses on the street are dark. Carstairs' government car is in the driveway but his personal vehicle is not. Both Steve and Danny are certain that they're not going to find the man at home but they park in the driveway and knock on the door just to be sure. Five minutes later, they are back in the Camaro headed toward one of the more popular and upscale entertainment areas of Honolulu, and Danny is putting a BOLO out for Carstairs' personal vehicle with the instructions to "locate but do not approach." Parking at the Halekulani Hotel, Steve turns to his brother-in-law with a somewhat bemused expression on his face.)

"Something's not right here, Danny. Why would the F.B.I. want to withhold information from us; especially on a murder investigation?"

"The F.B.I. wouldn't; Carstairs might."

"Bingo. I didn't see anything in the preliminary background check I ran on him while I was waiting on you but we need to take a look at his financials and dig deeper. I want to know why he doesn't want to play nice."

(An hour later, Steve and Danny are checking the parking lots of every hotel, restaurant, and club in the area they are in but still haven't found Ed Carstairs' car. H.P.D. has not had any luck in locating the man, either, so Steve decides to call it a night after driving back by Carstairs' house and finding that the man still hasn't come home. Telling Danny goodnight, Steve walks into the house, locks the door, and goes upstairs to his and Sam's bedroom. Upon entering the house, he experiences a vague sense of unease but nothing is out of place and he chalks his anxiety up to being tired and missing his wife.

Both Steve and Danny are at work early the next morning and Kono and Chin find them at the smart table looking over some information when they arrive around eight o'clock. Both young men have grim expressions on their faces and Steve is actually frowning. Exchanging curious looks, Kono and Chin step up to the opposite side of the table from Steve and Danny.)

"Is that the information from the F.B.I. on the trafficking ring?"

"No, Kono, its financial information on Ed Carstairs, the Assistant Special Agent In Charge of the F.B.I.'s Honolulu office."

"And you're looking at this man's financial records because?"

"Because, Chin, Steve and I think there's something strange about the fact that he won't send us the information the F.B.I. has compiled on the trafficking ring, even after he was ordered to do so by his boss. So, we're running a thorough background check and financial records check on him."

"Did I hear you right? Are you telling us that we _**still**_ don't have the information from the Bureau?"

"Yeah, you heard right, Kono."

"Are you freaking kidding me?"

"Ease up, Kono, we're going to get the information."

"When, Steve? After one or more women mysteriously disappear from Hawaii never to be heard from again?"

"Kono, Steve and I went looking for Carstairs last night but couldn't find him. We've both had very little sleep, we're both frustrated, we haven't been able to reach him this morning, and now is so not the time a good time to poke the bears with a stick!"

"Fine. Send some of these files to my desktop and I'll start going through them. In fact, Steve, Chin, Danny, and I will continue looking through the information on Carstairs while you get on the phone and call someone that can get us the information we need. Don't forget Gov. Jameson is going to be back today and I'm certain she's going to want some answers."

(And having been given their marching orders by Kono, the three young men head to their respective offices to do exactly what Kono told them to do. Kono is right and they all know it. A little before noon, Steve slams down the receiver on his desk phone and starts pacing in front of his desk. His first call was to Ed Carstairs' cellular number and he had to leave a message on voice mail. He then called the F.B.I.'s Honolulu office and spoke with a secretary who told him Agent Carstairs was "out in the field". He then tried calling the SAIC of the Honolulu office only to find that the man's voice mail is full so he can't leave a message. His next call was to the F.B.I. in Washington in an attempt to speak with an Assistant Director of the Bureau to ask for assistance and he had to leave a message. His fifth call was to Homeland Security and he had to leave a message there, as well. His angry pacing halts when his cellular phone rings and his wife's name and number pop up on caller I.D.)

"Hey, Beautiful, I can't tell you how happy I am to hear your voice."

"What's wrong, Steve? Is Emily all right?"

"Emily's just fine, Sam, I'm just really frustrated with this case."

"Want to tell me about it?"

"No, I absolutely do not want to add to your stress level while you're in Washington. You have enough to worry about without me piling more on you."

"As a matter of fact, Steve, I was calling to let you know that I'm coming home tomorrow. Apparently, I answered all the Senators' questions correctly because they're going to vote to approve our budget this afternoon. I have to go over to the hearing room this morning in case they have some last minute questions, but there shouldn't be a problem."

"Outstanding, Sweetheart! Emily and I will be very happy to have you back home. We've both missed you."

"I've missed you and Emily, too, Sailor. Now, tell me about this case that has you so frustrated."

"Guy's name is Zander Tan. He was born in Hawaii but his family moved to Singapore when he was a baby. His father got involved with a smuggling ring and, when he was old enough, Tan got involved with them, too. The day after you left for Washington, H.P.D. found Tan's body in a sleazebag hotel. He had been shot execution style, no prints, no hairs or fibers, nothing. It was definitely a professional hit. We got involved because Tan had left an envelope with the hotel's manager with instructions to turn it over to the police should anything happen to him. The envelope contained information connecting him to a human trafficking ring. Once H.P.D. realized what they had, they called us. We have evidence that this trafficking ring is going to set-up shop in Hawaii but we don't have the complete picture. We've been trying to get any information the F.B.I. has on this guy but we still don't have it. That's why I wanted to talk to Adm. Compton. Since he's the Navy's liaison with Homeland Security, I thought he should know what we have and could give us a hand with getting the information we need from the F.B.I. In fact, whoever he talked to found the SAIC of the F.B.I.'s Honolulu office, who was on vacation, and had him call me personally. . . . Sam, are you there?"

"Yeah, Steve, I'm here. . . I thought I had put the kidnapping thing behind me but I guess I haven't."

"God, I'm an idiot. I'm sorry, Sweetheart, I wouldn't have reminded you of that for anything in the world."

"It's okay, Sailor, it happened. . . Steve, those days I spent on that island were terrifying. I was so scared that you wouldn't be able to find me; that our baby would be taken away from me and I would end up in a living Hell. You absolutely cannot let these people get away with this."

"I don't intend to, Sam. Right now, I've got calls in to a couple of different people but no one's called me back yet."

"Say no more. I'm going to call Uncle Will and give him your cellular and office numbers. I don't think he's going to be too happy to learn that you still don't have what you need to stop these people."

"Yeah, I don't think so, either. Admirals do not like it when their orders aren't followed."

"Okay, I'm having dinner with Uncle Will tonight and I'll be on a flight out of Andrews at 0700 tomorrow. We have one stop to make in Coronado but I should be back at Pearl no later than 1400 hours. Give Em a kiss for me and tell her that Mommy loves her very much. I love _**you**_ very much, too, Steve."

"I know you do, Beautiful. Right back at you."

(Twenty minutes later, Steve's cellular phone rings and caller I.D. indicates it's a Washington, D.C. number. Grinning at his wife's efficiency, Steve hits the answer button and finds Adm. William Compton on the other end.)

"McGarrett."

"I understand you're still having a problem with the F.B.I., Commander."

"Yes, Sir. I got a call from the SAIC of the Honolulu office yesterday afternoon telling me we would have the information within the hour. We still don't have it, Admiral."

"You _will_ have what you need ASAP because I'm about to pay a personal visit to the Hoover Building. I'm going to make it very clear to those people that, when I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed immediately."

"Thank you, Sir."

"You're quite welcome. Please keep me in the loop on this. Now, I'm coming out to Pearl in a few weeks, and I'm very much looking forward to meeting you, Commander. Mike Thrasher thinks very highly of you, and so does Libby. Your service record is exemplary and you've made quite a name for yourself as head of the Governor's task force. _**I**_ am going to reserve judgement until I meet you personally, but I believe we're going to become good friends."

"I certainly hope so, Sir. I know that you were one the people who were there for Sam when Anne and Jonathan Murdock were killed. Knowing my wife has people who care about her means a lot to me. Thank you."

"Jonathan, Mike, and I were assigned to the same S.E.A.L. team shortly after graduating from BUD/S. We're brothers and that will never change. When Anne and Jonathan were killed, the rest of us did our best to take care of Sam; that will never change, either. I know you understand exactly what I'm saying to you, Commander, because you're also a S.E.A.L., but make no mistake, if you ever hurt Sam, you'll answer to all of us who care about her."

"I do understand, Admiral, and I swear to you that I will never deliberately hurt Sam. She's the reason for every breath I take. She's my life and I love her more than I ever thought I could possibly love anyone. I would die for her."

"Let's hope it never comes to that, Son. Now, if you don't have what you need from the F.B.I. by 1500 hours, call me back."

"Yes, Sir, and, again, thank you."

(Ending the call, Steve tries Carstairs' cellular number again and then walks out to the smart table where Danny, Kono, and Chin are discussing their progress and fills them in on his. When he finishes his update, Kono jumps right on a question they all want answered.)

"Don't you think it's a little strange that Carstairs isn't in his office, his secretary knows only that he's 'out in the field', and he's not answering his cellular phone? I mean, with the SAIC on the mainland right now, Carstairs is in charge of the Honolulu office. How is his office supposed to get in touch with him if they need him?"

"He's avoiding us, Cuz. He probably has another number the Bureau can use to reach him."

"And he's out in the field because he doesn't want to see or talk to any of us."

"That's basically what I just said, Danny! What I want to know is _**why**_ he's avoiding us! What could possibly be his motivation for keeping the information on the trafficking ring from us? Is he involved with these slime balls? Are they paying him to 'look the other way' when they start grabbing women? Why won't he talk to us?"

"Can we all just take a deep breath and take it down a notch, please? . . . Those are all good questions, Kono, and we'd all like to have the answers to them. One way or another, we're going to get the information the F.B.I. has this afternoon."

(None of them has seen Gov. Jameson walking into their office and are unaware of her presence until she speaks.)

"Yes, you are, Commander, because Adm. Compton isn't the only one paying a visit to the F.B.I. this afternoon. The Secretary of Homeland Security is also dropping in on them at my request. You may rest assured that you will not only be getting the information you've requested from the F.B.I., but any information Homeland may have, as well. The Honolulu offices of both of those agencies will also be standing by to assist you in any way you deem necessary. Use their help or don't, but make sure you take care of this disgusting situation as soon as possible. I do not want the citizens of Hawaii living in fear. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am, crystal."

"Good. Keep me in the loop on this situation, Cmdr. McGarrett. These nasty people are not going to terrorize the people of Hawaii on my watch."


	4. Chapter 4

**PART III - CHAPTER Four**

 **Title: "Salvation Series: It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"**

 **Author: Michelle Heath**

 **Rating: MA for adult situations and language**

 **Summary: Story #10 in the Salvation Series.**

 **Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-O; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!**

 **Date Written: March 15, 2017**

(As usual, the Governor is in and out of the Five-O offices so quickly and quietly that Steve, Danny, Kono, and Chin are all four wondering if she was a Ninja in a past life. One thing is certain, the lady is not happy with the situation and has, more or less, put them on notice. Of course, it is quite possible that things may actually move a little faster now that she is directly involved and has, apparently, called in some favors from Washington, as well. No sooner has she stepped onto the elevator to go upstairs to her office than some subtle beeps indicate files are coming in on Five-O's secure server. Chin wastes no time in pulling the information up on the smart table and "sliding" them up on the several screens around the room. One file contains pictures of suspected international drug and weapons smugglers who are also believed to be involved in human trafficking along with their criminal histories and last known locations. Another file contains a list of cities, worldwide, where girls and young women have disappeared over the past six months with absolutely no clues as to where they went along with pictures of the apparent kidnapping victims and police reports from law enforcement agencies including Interpol. A third file appears to be a timeline of the disappearances comparing the locations of the suspects at the times of the disappearances. All four members of the task force are shocked at the information before them and Kono has turned a shade paler as her mind comprehends the data she's reading. Although the files contain much more information than they had, nowhere in any of the files is there a specific mention of Zander Tan. The team's relief at finally getting the information they wanted is tempered by the fact that none of the files directly ties Tan to any of the known trafficking suspects. Kono types some information into the smart table and the letter found in the envelope Tan left for the police appears on another screen. The letter contains the names of Tan's "associates" and what appears to be a timetable for setting up their operation in Honolulu. Unfortunately, none of the names in the letter corresponds with the names of the known traffickers. Undaunted, Kono begins to pace next to the smart table and Steve, Danny, and Chin can almost see the wheels turning in her head.)

"Okay, none of Tan's friends appear on the list of known human traffickers. Doesn't mean anything. I mean, think about it. Zander Tan was obviously a novice at human trafficking; had to be or his name and the names of his friends would be on the lists we just got. He wasn't stupid, though, he didn't trust the people he was working with or he wouldn't have left this letter for the police in the event of his death. Maybe he was following in dear, old Dad's footsteps and branching out on his own; getting his feet wet. He and his friends knew that they would be in direct competition with the dirt bags on the lists from the F.B.I. and Homeland so they were being very careful so as to not ruffle any feathers until they were ready to put their plan into operation."

"Good theory, Cuz, and I hate to rain on your parade, but what if these dirt bags who _**are**_ known human traffickers got wind of Tan's idea and decided to take him and his friends out of action before they got started? The slime balls who are old pros at this could have killed Tan as a warning to his friends and then decided that Hawaii is fertile ground for the taking."

"And if that's the case, we definitely need to get a handle on this yesterday."

"I don't see anything in any of this information that connects the 'old pros' to a start-up operation in Hawaii, Danny."

"Yeah, but they're not going to advertise it, now are they, Kono."

"Danny, there's no intelligence, from any U.S. or international source, to indicate that any person or group of people, other than Tan and his friends, are interested in setting-up a trafficking ring here."

"But Hawaii is a prime target. In addition to all of the girls and young women who live here, thousands of people come to Hawaii on vacation every year."

"Not to mention all the cruise ships that are in and out of Hawaii's ports on a regular basis."

(Steve has been listening as Kono, Danny, and Chin have been talking in a rapid-fire back-and-forth with Kono getting more frustrated with each passing second, and Danny and Chin countering each and every point she makes. They're all making valid points and Steve is now beginning to get more frustrated himself. Glancing at the clock, he realizes that it is nearly six p.m. They're all tired and frustrated and they are now talking in circles. With a sudden, strong urge to see his daughter, Steve calls a halt to the rather spirited discussion going on between his three co-workers and tells them all to go home and relax as they're obviously not going to accomplish much more at this point in time. When he doesn't get an argument from any of them, especially Kono, he knows that they are all much more tired and mentally fatigued than any of them want to admit.

Stopping by his and Sam's house to pack his duffel bag and pick up a stuffed animal Emily specifically asked for, Steve, once again, experiences a feeling of unease as soon as he enters the house. After checking the house thoroughly, and not finding a single thing out of place, he shrugs off the disquiet he's experiencing and makes quick work of packing his things.

Emily and her grandfather are down on the den floor when Steve arrives at his in-laws, and Mike is teaching Emily how to make a covert approach to an enemy's camp. Not even the arrival of her much loved father can distract Emily from belly-crawling toward Libby's recliner, which is, of course, the tangos' campsite. Grinning broadly, Steve hastily stifles the laughter that is bubbling up inside of him when Mike sends him a warning frown. Libby is playing right along and is pretending to read her book as Emily slowly, but quietly, sneaks up on her. Even though Libby knows what's coming, she still jumps when Emily jumps up mere inches from her grandmother's face and loudly yells, "Gotcha, Ganma!" Steve does laugh then, and Emily quickly runs to her father who scoops her up and kisses her cheek.)

"Good job, Em!"

"I got the 'ango, Daddy!"

"Yes, you did, Baby Girl, and the tango never knew you were coming."

"I show Mommy!"

"Um, Emily, you might not want to sneak up on Mommy like that. Remember what happened when you hit her with the oatmeal?"

"Mommy mad."

"That's right, Sweetheart, and we don't want to make Mommy mad, do we?"

"I miss Mommy."

"Well, Em, it just so happens that I talked to Mommy a little while ago and she's coming home tomorrow."

(Emily squeals with sheer delight at this news, and the smile on her beautiful, little face causes Steve's heart to swell with love. When Emily throws her little arms around her father's neck and gives him a kiss on the cheek, he simply melts. Hugging his little girl tightly, Steve finally sets her down and she runs to her grandfather excitedly telling him her Mommy will be home tomorrow as though he didn't hear her father. Easily swinging Emily up into his arms, Mike also gets a hug and kiss. Emily's evening is complete when Steve reaches into his duffel and hands her the stuffed rabbit she wanted.)

"Sam must have done an outstanding job of convincing the Senate Appropriations Committee to vote in favor of the budget request. Getting that group of politicians to agree to anything in less than two weeks is unheard of, Steve. But then, my daughter can be very stubborn when she sets her mind to it, and I'm fairly certain that she wanted to get back home as quickly as possible."

"That she did, Mike, and I don't think Adm. Compton giving her some pointers on how to handle those Senators hurt, either."

"Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad Sam's coming home tomorrow, too. I've been worried about you all week, Steve. You've nearly run yourself ragged with the insane hours you've been working and the only times I was certain you were eating anything substantial was when you had dinner here with us."

"Our son-in-law is a grown man, Libby, a _**S.E.A.L.**_ for Pete's sake! He most certainly does not need a keeper."

"You're absolutely right, dear, but he _**does**_ need his wife; S.E.A.L. or not. You people aren't invincible, you know. You go off to all these places doing all these things you can't tell anyone about, and, while I'm quite sure that whatever it is you do is vital our country safe, you simply could not do it at all without your wives. After all, Michael Thrasher, how many times, in all the years we've been married, have you told me that you got through a particularly difficult op because of me?"

"Sam's been with me on every op I've been on since I met her, and she's definitely the reason I got through a couple of them. Libby's right, Mike; you can have all the training and experience in the world but, sometimes, all you really need is the woman you love."

(And there really is nothing Mike can say to that statement. Being a highly intelligent S.E.A.L., he does the only thing he can do; he puts his arms around his wife and hugs her tightly. . .

Chin walks through his front door to find a mouth-watering scent wafting through the house. The dining room table is set with Lana's fine china, crystal, and flatware along with the linen tablecloth and napkins they received as a wedding present from one of Chin's aunts, and a bottle of wine is chilling in a crystal wine bucket that was also a wedding present. Lana is in the kitchen checking something in the oven and Chin is instantly gripped by a sense of fear as he desperately tries to figure out if he forgot an important event. Lana's birthday is still a few days away so that can't be the reason for what appears to be a "special" dinner. Nope, he can't think of a thing he's forgotten so now his fear morphs into curiosity. Lana turns toward him just as he steps into the kitchen and he now sees that she is wearing one of his favorite sundresses and it appears that she has taken more care with her hair and makeup than usual. Setting the potholders she was using on the counter, Lana smiles sweetly before sliding her arms around her husband's neck and kissing him most thoroughly. Chin wisely returns the kiss before pulling back slightly to look down into his wife's beautiful face.)

"Are we celebrating something?"

"You've been working so hard lately that I thought we could have a nice, romantic dinner, just the two of us. You don't have to do a thing except sit down and eat, and, when we're through with dinner, you can go take a nice, long bath while I clean up. After that, I'm going to give you a back rub because I can practically see the knots in your muscles. After that, . ."

"After that, I'm going to take charge for the rest of the evening."

"I like that idea."

"Thought you might. Not that I'm complaining, Lana, but are you sure you did all of this just because I've been putting in a lot of hours lately?"

"That, and . . . I have a surprise for you, Chin, one I think you're going to like. On second thought, you're going to love it."

"What am I going to love?"

"Nope, not going to tell you. It's a surprise, remember? You're just going to have to wait."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously, Chin. Now, sit down so we can have dinner."

(All through dinner, Lana sends loving little looks in her husband's direction and even giggles a couple of times at his obvious difficulty in reining in his impatience. No matter how he begs, pleads, wheedles, charms, or coaxes, Lana will not tell him what his surprise is, and she enjoys every second of his discomfiture. Much later, after dinner, after Chin's back rub, and after he expresses his love and appreciation of all his wife's efforts and they are lying wrapped in each other's arms thoroughly spent, Lana reveals Chin's surprise and he does, indeed, love it.)


	5. Chapter 5

**PART III - CHAPTER FIVE**

 **Title: "Salvation Series: It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"**

 **Author: Michelle Heath**

 **Rating: MA for adult situations and language**

 **Summary: Story #10 in the Salvation Series.**

 **Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-O; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!**

 **Date Written: March 19, 2017**

(Frustrated and tired, Danny arrives home to have his mood lightened somewhat when he finds his wife is already there. He finds her in their bedroom sitting at her make-up table in her bath robe brushing her long, silky red-gold hair. Caroline smiles at him in the mirror as he walks up behind her, leans down, and kisses the top of her head. Standing up and turning so that she ends up in his arms, Caroline pulls his head down for a much more serious kiss; one which Danny returns enthusiastically.)

"Want to take your wife out to dinner tonight, Romeo, or are you too tired?"

"Never too tired for you, Caroline. Where would you like to go?"

"Surprise me, but, could we go somewhere nice?"

"Really, _really_ nice or so-so nice?"

"Danny! You know exactly what kind of nice!"

"Yeah, Gorgeous, I do. Any special reason you want to go out to dinner tonight?"

"No, I just thought we could have a nice dinner in a nice restaurant, just the two of us. . . Oh my goodness, Danny, I'm so sorry! You've been putting in a lot of extra hours at work, first with the budget thing and now with this case, and you must be exhausted, and here I am demanding that you take me out to dinner, and . . You know what? We don't have to go anywhere. Give me thirty minutes and I'll make you something fabulous for dinner."

"Caroline, slow down. My beautiful, smart, sexy wife wants to go out to dinner, we go out to dinner. I'm not _that_ tired and it has been a while since we've gone out, just the two of us. Let me change and we'll go to . . Wolfgang's Steakhouse?"

"Perfect!"

(Forty-five minutes later, Caroline and Danny are seated at an intimate table for two in the crowded restaurant and Caroline, who had been prepared for a very long wait since they did not have reservations, leans closer to her husband.)

"I thought we would be waiting for a table for at least an hour, Danny, yet you walked in, gave the hostess your name, and we were seated almost immediately. I'm not complaining, mind you, but how on Earth did this happen?"

"I know a guy; called him while you were getting dressed. And speaking of your dress, Mrs. Williams, may I say that I am quite fond of the one you're wearing this evening; that particular shade of blue brings out your very beautiful eyes."

"You're not looking too bad yourself, Romeo. In fact, you look downright . . . Sexy."

"Sexy? Really? Are you trying to seduce me, Caroline?"

"Oh, I don't think I'm going to have to try very hard, Danny. . . Hmm, what do I want for dinner?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm thinking about dessert, Gorgeous."

"Well, we're here and we're going to take our time and enjoy our dinner. And, to keep your mind off of 'dessert', why don't you tell me what's going on with your case."

"The case is not something that would make good dinner conversation, Caroline. We're making progress, but it's slow going and we're all more than a little frustrated."

"I have every confidence in the world in you guys; you'll figure it out."

"I hope so. Hey, have you talked to your sister lately?"

"Yep. She should be landing at Pearl around 1400 hours tomorrow, and I couldn't be happier. I've had to fly with Lt. Cmdr. Perkins all week and he's about as talkative as a lava rock. I've nearly fallen asleep in the back seat twice during launches and traps on the Coral Seas."

"Well, that can't be good."

"Tell me about it. Danny, do you think we could take the boat out this weekend? I'm off-duty at 1700 hours tomorrow and don't go back on-duty until 0700 hours Monday."

"I'd love to, Caroline, but, until we get this case under control, I have a feeling we're going to be working weekends."

"You cannot work this case twenty-four, seven, Danny. Surely you can take one day off. I mean, I know Steve can be a bear when you guys have a tough one, but Sam's been gone all week, she's coming home tomorrow, and we both know that Steve is going to want to spend some time with her."

"Of course he is, but . . . We need to take care of this case."

"It's a murder investigation, Danny; the victim is already dead. I understand that you guys want to find the killers and lock them up, but one day isn't going to make that much difference, is it?"

"Caroline, we have proof that the victim was tied to a human trafficking ring that may be setting-up shop in Hawaii. We're trying to make sure that doesn't happen."

"Oh, my God, Danny, why didn't you tell me this sooner? No wonder you've all been trying to kill yourselves! Does Sam know about this?"

"I'm pretty sure Steve's talked to her about it."

"She's still not completely over being kidnapped by Claudia Kassavich and held on that island, you know. She talks to me sometimes. She never says anything specific, but what she does say is enough for me to know that she still thinks about it."

(Seeing that his wife is worried about her sister, Danny leans toward her, covers her hand with his, and smiles encouragingly.)

"I'm glad that your sister talks to you, Gorgeous, and I'm glad that you're there for her. I know you're worried about her, but you know as well as I do that Steve's going to take care of Sam. He definitely wouldn't deliberately say or do anything to hurt her, and he's not going to let anyone else hurt her, either."

"I know, Danny, but . . . Sam was pregnant with Emily when she was held captive on that island and that damned Kassavich woman taunted her daily by telling her she was going to take her baby away from her and then sell Sam into the slave markets of the Orient. I can't imagine what living through that kind of mental torment on a daily basis did to her."

"Your sister is a very strong person, Caroline. She's made of sterner stuff than you're giving her credit for, you know."

"Sam _is_ strong but she's also human. I'm worried about her, Danny, I hope this case doesn't upset her too much."

"She'll be fine, Caroline. Sam has a lot of people in her life who love her, including you and me, but I think Steve and Emily are all she really needs. Now that we have your sister's welfare settled, and we've talked about my case, let's enjoy our dinner."

"Deal, and don't order dessert, Romeo, because we're going to wait until we get home for that."

"That's the best idea I've heard all evening."

(Tony Montgomery has been watching his wife all week with a growing sense of unease. He is well aware that the task force caught a murder case on Monday morning that turned into something more, and whatever that "something more" is has upset Kono greatly. He knows that they needed some information from the F.B.I. and had a difficult time getting it, and Kono's frustration level has been steadily rising. He hasn't asked her any specific questions about the case because he understands that she cannot tell him some things about her work just as he cannot tell her some things about his, but, as he stands in the doorway of their son's room and watches her as she rocks Eric, _his_ anxiety level has just about maxed out. Apparently unaware of her husband's presence, Kono carefully gets up, gently places Eric in his bed, and leans over to kiss her baby. Straightening up and turning toward the door, Kono finally sees the man she loves more than life and walks into his embrace. Brushing his lips across her forehead, Tony turns her toward their bedroom and keeps one arm around her slender waist until they step inside the room and he pulls her fully into his arms.)

"What's wrong, K? You've been upset about this case all week. Can you please tell me what has you so stressed out?"

"Our murder victim had ties to a human trafficking ring, and we have information that indicates they were getting ready to set-up shop here in Honolulu. It took us nearly forever to get the information the F.B.I. had on these people, and Steve had to call the Navy's liaison to Homeland Security to get that but we finally got it. The Assistant Special Agent In Charge of the Honolulu office, Ed Carstairs, is avoiding us like the plague but we need to talk to him because we still don't have all the pieces of the puzzle. The longer it takes us to find these scum bags, the longer they have to implement their operation."

"Wow, no wonder you're upset. You said the _Assistant_ S.A.I.C. Where's his boss?"

"On vacation on the mainland, and he'll be there for at least another week. I can't bear the thought of any woman being kidnapped, probably raped, pumped full of illegal drugs, and forced into a life of human bondage, Tony! The very thought of something like that happening here makes me sick to my stomach. And, Danny reminded all of us that Grace is old enough for these people to have her in their sights."

"Okay, one, no one is going to hurt our Gracie because none of us who love her is going to let that happen! Two, now that Homeland Security is involved, you can bet your six that the F.B.I. is definitely going to get on board if they know what's good for them, and, three, you and Steve and Danny and Chin are four of the most amazing people I know and you're all damned good at your jobs. You'll figure this out, K, and, when you do, you'll find these Tangos and arrest them."

"But what if they _do_ manage to get their operation up and running while we're trying to figure everything out, Tony? How am I, how are any of us, supposed to tell someone that their daughter or wife or sister has been kidnapped and we don't have the first clue of how to find them? These traffickers aren't stupid, and they have connections all over the world. They could very easily smuggle women off this island before we'd even know the women were missing."

"Take a deep breath and slow down, Babe. Kono, you cannot 'what if' every, single thing about this case. If you do, you're going to make yourself crazy. You're already half-way there now. How many times has the task force failed to solve a case since it was created?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just answer the question, please."

"Not once."

"How many times have you guys failed to get a conviction of anyone you've arrested in connection to your cases?"

"Never."

"How many times have any of those convictions been thrown out on appeal or any of the bad guys been released from prison?"

"Hasn't happened."

"Okay, then. I told you that the four of you were very good at what you do and you are. You make sure that there are dots on every 'i' and crosses on every 't'. Your investigations and evidence are solid and you're all calm, cool, and collected on the witness stand. Don't start doubting yourself, or Steve or Danny or Chin, now, K."

(And a loving "pep talk" from her husband was exactly what Kono needed and, looking up into his beautiful, blue eyes, she feels all her apprehension and anxiety begin to drain away. Smiling for the first time in days, she pulls Tony's head down to hers and kisses him with all the love in her heart.)


	6. Chapter 6

**PART III - CHAPTER SIX**

 **Title: "Salvation Series: It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"**

 **Author: Michelle Heath**

 **Rating: MA for adult situations and language**

 **Summary: Story #10 in the Salvation Series.**

 **Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-O; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!**

 **Date Written: March 22, 2017**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello, everyone! I hope you are all enjoying this story so far. I want to apologize for not posting new chapters as quickly as I have in the past and let you know that I'm going to do my best to improve the pace. I'd love to hear from all of you so that I'll know if my writing is "up to snuff" or not. Thank you to those of you who have reviewed! Michelle**

(Emily was so excited about her mother coming home that she practically "danced" about her grandparents' house after her father told her. It took the combined efforts of Steve, Libby, and Mike to get her to settle down long enough to eat her dinner, and Steve definitely had his hands full giving her a bath and getting her into her pajamas. By the time he finished, he was soaking wet and Emily _still_ wasn't showing any signs of being the least bit sleepy. It didn't help matters that Mike, on the pretext of making sure Steve didn't need any back-up, had leaned in the doorway of the bathroom and smirked as Steve bathed his slippery, wiggling, laughing daughter while desperately trying to keep her from hurting either herself or him. Handing his now dry daughter off to his father-in-law after getting her into her pajamas, Steve shoots Mike a frown as the older man laughingly carries the little girl back into the den and her grandmother. Knowing when he's been had, Steve just shakes his head as he hears Mike telling Emily he's proud of her for remembering the evasive moves he taught her earlier in the day. By the time Steve has changed into a pair of shorts and a dry shirt and walks back into the den, Emily has begun to "wind down" and is laying on one of the sofas with her head in her grandmother's lap. As soon as Steve sits down on the opposite end of the sofa, Emily crawls into his lap and snuggles into his chest. A feeling of pure love envelopes Steve and he cuddles his daughter close and kisses the top of her little head. His reward is a sleepy, "Love you, Daddy", and Emily is asleep before "I love you, too, Emily" is completely out of his mouth. Glancing up, he sees indulgent smiles on both his in-law's faces, and Libby appears more relaxed than she has in days.)

"I'm so glad you decided to stay here tonight, Steve. I know that I will sleep much better knowing that you're here, and I have a feeling Emily will, too. And, if I'm not mistaken, you'll get a decent night's sleep for the first time in days, as well."

"The first time in days, Libby?"

"Are you really going to sit there and tell me that you've been sleeping well in that house all by yourself these past nights, Steve? You know that _I know_ better than that now don't you, Son? You never sleep well when Sam isn't with you."

"No, Libby, I don't, and I readily admit it."

"It's certainly nothing to be ashamed of, Steve. I don't sleep well when Libby's not in the bed next to me, either."

"Well, we're no longer forced to be apart as much as Sam and Steve are, Mike. Of course, all those years when you were an active duty S.E.A.L. and were gone so much of the time were quite enough for me. Don't get me wrong, dear, I don't, for one second, begrudge your serving our country; I'm very proud of you, but I'm so very glad that I don't have to worry about our being apart like that again. Now, I'm going to bed. Steve, don't worry about getting up with Emily if she wakes up during the night; I'll take care of it. You need your rest."

"Actually, Libby, I think I'm going to let Em sleep with me. That way, I'll be right there if she wakes up."

"Humph, big, bad Navy S.E.A.L. my six. Sam was quite right; that little girl has had you wrapped around her little finger since the moment she was born, Steve McGarrett."

"Of course, she has, Libby; always will have."

(And, of course, Mike simply cannot resist throwing out a remark that has Steve frowning darkly within seconds.)

"Libby, I wonder if Sam's going to have to lock Steve up in the base Brig when Emily is old enough to start noticing boys. After all, I don't think Emily's going to be too happy when her father wants to interrogate every boy who looks her way."

"Michael!"

(But both Libby and Mike are snickering as they walk down the hallway to their bedroom. Looking down at his sleeping baby girl, Steve figures out that, once again, his father-in-law is messing with him. Finally realizing that it's going to be years before Emily develops an interest in boys, Steve stands up carefully so as to not wake Emily and heads into the guestroom.

Steve is still wide awake an hour later because, after Emily fell asleep, his in-laws went to bed, and there was no one to keep his mind occupied, he started thinking about the case and the lack of any substantial progress in solving the situation. There's something in the back of his mind that is also bothering him. Both tonight and the night before, his "Spidey senses" kicked in the moment he stepped into the house he shares with his wife and daughter. Both nights, he thoroughly and carefully checked the house and property and found absolutely nothing out of order, but he cannot shake the feeling that something is not right. His thoughts then turn to Melissa McCreedy Santos and the uneasy feeling he's had about her since the day she first walked into the Five-O offices. After her efforts at playing "hardball" failed miserably, the fact that she seemingly went quietly away just doesn't add up. Of course, he made sure that Ms. Santos met Sam and was well aware of the fact that he loves his wife and no one will ever come between them, but the woman didn't strike him as the type to give up so easily. Just what exactly was it Ms. Santos hoped to accomplish while she was observing the task force? That Danny also thought something was off about the woman, coupled with Kono's very correct assumption that Ms. Santos was doing her best to seduce him, brings him back to his original question and his frustration level rises. Impatiently turning on his side, Steve's gaze falls on Emily and, instantly, all thoughts of the case and the infuriating Ms. Santos disappear. Thinking that he's never seen anything so sweet and pure and precious as his sleeping daughter, Steve leans over and kisses her silky hair. He finally falls asleep and, surprisingly, sleeps quite well for the rest of the night.

'The following morning, Steve and Danny are, once again, working at the smart table when Kono and Chin arrive. Steve is staring at what appears to be a financial statement on one of the screens while Danny is reviewing two different cellular phone logs on another. Both young men are so absorbed in what they are doing that they fail to see Kono and Chin and, apparently, don't hear them, either. Exchanging a puzzled look with her cousin, Kono has to practically yell the word, "Hey!" for the third time before Steve and Danny snap out of the fog they were in and acknowledge the presence of their two co-workers.)

"Hey, are you two on the same planet as the rest of us? What are you doing, anyway?"

"Going over the latest financial data for Ed Carstairs as well as his personal cellular phone records. Not seeing anything that could be called suspicious."

"Which more or less rules out your theory that Carstairs is involved in any illegal activities, Kono."

"Not necessarily, Steve. Carstairs may have an off-shore account under an alias somewhere. The man is an F.B.I. agent, after all, and he knows exactly how to hide money if he wants."

"That's true, but I don't think he's involved with the traffickers or being paid 'hush money'. I think he's just on a 'power trip' because the S.A.I.C. of the Honolulu office is on vacation and Carstairs has a really inflated sense of self-importance. There's absolutely nothing in his personal or Bureau cellular records that indicate he's involved in anything illegal."

"Maybe he has a 'burn' phone, Danny. What is _wrong_ with the two of you? You're both way better than this."

"Why are you so convinced that Ed Carstairs is 'dirty', Cuz?"

"I'm not, Chin, but I think we need to consider the possibility. The man's an F.B.I. agent with several years' experience, and he's obviously good at his job or they wouldn't have made him an A.S.A.I.C. He's not stupid, either. If he is involved with the traffickers, he can hide his tracks very easily."

"You have a point, but, right now, we don't have any evidence that points to him doing anything wrong. Until we do, we need to look at the evidence we do have. Chin, I want you and Danny to go back over all the information we have on Zander Tan. See if we missed something the first time we looked at it. Kono, you and I are going to split the list of Tan's associates we found in his letter and see what we can find."

(Heading into their offices, the four log onto their desktops and begin to work. An hour later, Steve receives a call from Gov. Jameson's secretary asking him to come upstairs to the Governor's office. He is shown into the Governor's private office as soon as he steps through the suite's door, and finds the lady sitting behind her desk reviewing some paperwork. Glancing up when her secretary announces Steve's presence, Gov. Jameson waves Steve to one of the two chairs sitting in front of her desk, glances down to the file lying on her desk, and then back up at Steve with a frown on her face.)

"I've just been reviewing a statistical report compiled by the U.S. Department of Justice on human trafficking activities in the United States over the past three years. These numbers are substantial, they're terrifying, and they're totally unacceptable. I don't mind telling you, Cmdr. McGarrett, that, should a human trafficking ring start operations here in Hawaii, we will have a huge problem. A decent-sized portion of money that comes into this state is the direct result of tourists' dollars. Frightened tourists do not visit locations where they feel they are unsafe. If we lose income from the robust tourist industry we have enjoyed for a great many years, businesses will start to decline and then close. People will lose their jobs and will also lose their homes, their vehicles, and anything else they may consider assets because they will no longer have the income necessary to pay for these items. Foreclosures will multiply with frightening rapidity, and people who have lived here all or most of their lives will be forced to relocate elsewhere. That, however, is the least of my concerns. My first and foremost concern is the safety of every citizen of this state. Our citizens should be able to walk down the street, go shopping, visit parks, attend entertainment events, go out to eat, and do whatever else it is they wish to do, as long it's legal, of course, without fearing for their safety or the safety of their family members. I want these nasty people stopped before they have the opportunity to get started, Commander, and I want that to happen immediately. I've just gotten off the phone with the U.S. Attorney General and he has promised me that your task force will have the full cooperation of all federal law enforcement agencies in finding these horrible people. I'm also quite sure that, with Samantha's position and connections with the U.S. Navy, as well as your father-in-law's, that you will also have any resources you may require from the U.S. military made available to you, as well. Whether or not you use these resources is completely up to you, Commander, but, one way or the other, I want these human traffickers dealt with as soon as possible."

"I assure you, Governor, that we are doing everything possible to get a handle on this situation and resolve it as quickly as possible. I have to tell you, though, that at this point, we only have confirmation that a group of individuals was trying to establish a trafficking business on Oahu. I'd also like to point out that the people in question have never been involved in this type of activity before and are rank amateurs. We have no evidence that any of these people, other than our murder victim, Zander Tan, has even been to Hawaii. However, because of a letter he left for H.P.D., we have reason to believe that an attempt was going to be made to set-up shop here. Right now, we're looking into the possibility of traffickers with more experience starting their operations here but, again, we have no solid proof. We're in the process of contacting law enforcement agencies world-wide, including Interpol, to get the latest intel on all known human traffickers and their whereabouts. We should be able to get some solid information very soon."

"I certainly hope so, Commander, because this type of atrocity cannot be allowed to happen."

"I understand that better than most, Governor."

"I know you do, Steve. I haven't forgotten what happened with Sam. That's why I know that you will stop these sadistic bastards."

"Yes, Ma'am, you can count on it."

"I also called you up here to thank you for allowing Sen. Mills' aide to observe you and your team for a few days. Ms. Santos apparently gave the Senator a glowing report about the efficiency and, more importantly, the necessity of the task force. Whether I win the next election or not, I think it's safe to say that all of you will continue to be employed for quite some time."

"Thank you, Ma'am, but I have no doubt that you'll be re-elected. You've done far too much good for this state."

"Thank you. Now, please keep me in the loop on this case."


	7. Chapter 7

**PART III - CHAPTER SEVEN**

 **Title: "Salvation Series: It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"**

 **Author: Michelle Heath**

 **Rating: MA for adult situations and language**

 **Summary: Story #10 in the Salvation Series.**

 **Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-O; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!**

 **Date Written: March 24, 2017**

(The Governor mentioning Melissa McCreedy Santos re-awakens Steve's feelings of unease he associates with the woman, and his thoughts are centered on her while he takes the elevator back downstairs. By the time he walks into Five-O's suite of offices, his famous dark frown is firmly in place as his tries to figure out just exactly what Ms. Santos was, or is, up to with regard to the task force in general and him in particular. His three co-workers are standing at the smart table looking over various documents that have apparently come in while he was in the Governor's office so he mentally "shakes off" his concerns regarding Ms. Santos and asks to be brought up to speed.)

"What'd we get, Danny?"

"We've got a preliminary report from Interpol and all the known human traffickers are currently in Europe and the Orient. Not a single one, including Tan's associates named in the letter, are anywhere near Hawaii or the mainland at the moment. The four men named in the letter are in Istanbul at the moment but they all arrived there at different times. Interpol has them on a 'watch list' for smuggling arms."

"Well, at least they're under surveillance. You know, I'm beginning to think this human trafficking thing is a smoke screen; maybe to cover up their arms trading."

"Okay, Steve, that's definitely a plausible theory but I think Tan and his friends really were going to try to set-up a trafficking operation here. I also believe that he was killed by people who are interested in following through on his plans, and that these people are professionals; they definitely know how to play this game."

"I agree with Kono, Steve. Hawaii is very fertile ground for anyone wanting to kidnap girls and women for the slave markets. I think that there are people who specialize in human trafficking who are waiting for the investigation into Tan's murder to die down before they set-up shop. They may not be actively pursuing an operation here on Oahu for the moment, but I'm willing to bet they will in the not too distant future."

"Chin, what is it that you're seeing that the rest of us don't?"

"Nothing specific. I've just got a feeling."

"That's good enough for me. Okay, let's get Interpol and local LEOs to keep our suspects under surveillance so we'll know when they're ready to make their move, and let's alert H.P.D. to keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior."

"Already done."

"Then there's really nothing we can do but wait until something pops either here or internationally. Damn, but I hate having to wait like this."

"No choice, Steve."

"Yeah, but I don't have to like it."

(The four look at one another and they're all feeling some serious frustration at the moment because Steve is correct: they have done about as much as they can do regarding the case for the time being. The forensic reports from the scene of Tan's murder tell them nothing but what they already know which is it was a professional hit and there are no hairs, fibers, DNA, finger prints, or other clues as to who killed Tan. Wanting to lighten the mood, Chin invites them all to the Kelly's house for dinner that evening, and they all agree, Steve saying that he and Sam will attend if she's not too tired from her flight home.

Promptly at six-thirty that evening, Sam, Steve, and Emily arrive at Chin's and Lana's for dinner. In addition to them, Caroline and Danny, Kono, Tony, and Eric, Libby and Mike, and Rosa are already there. They're all assuming that the dinner invitation was extended so they can all see the results of the re-modeling Lana and Chin have done to their house, and everyone compliments them on the results. After dinner, when everyone is sitting out on the back patio enjoying the sunset, the Kellys reveal the real reason for their invitation. Chin, looking very pleased with himself, gets everyone's attention to make the announcement.)

"Lana and I want all of you to know that we truly appreciate being part of this Ohana and that we are very blessed to have all of you in our lives. As Danny is fond of saying, we're all family and family takes care of one another. Just the other day we were all talking about the fact that Grace, Eric, and Emily would always be cared for should, God forbid, something happen to their parents, and they will. In about seven months, Lana and I are going to be adding to the next generation of this Ohana, and we're very grateful that our child will have all of you in his or her life."

(Of course, the news that Lana is pregnant delights everyone and Libby makes sure she is the first person to reach both Lana and Chin to hug them and offer her congratulations. In short order, the couple has received best wishes from everyone in the group except Caroline and Danny, and Lana quickly realizes that this is very difficult for both of them. Noticing the tears that are slowly filling Caroline's eyes, Lana goes to her and takes both of Caroline's hands in hers. Everyone else has stopped talking as the pain Caroline and Danny must be experiencing hits home. Chin has stepped up behind his wife and close to Caroline and Danny as he, too, wishes he could do something to lessen the hurt for his friends. Lana looks into Caroline's eyes and aches for her friend.)

"Are you all right, Caroline? Chin and I wouldn't have hurt you or Danny for anything in the world."

"You didn't hurt us, Lana. We're both thrilled for you and Chin. It's just . . . I'm so glad that you and I will be going through our pregnancies together."

(And at Caroline's words stating that she, too, is pregnant, the mood lightens considerably. All the women are teary-eyed and their husbands are more than a little emotional, as well. Libby is just beside herself and simply cannot keep her tears of joy at bay. Questions about due dates and whether or not the prospective parents want to know the gender of their babies are flying around rapidly. Although Emily and Eric are too young to understand what's happening, Grace Williams is not and she happily plants herself firmly at Caroline's side throughout the remainder of the evening. Sam, of course, can't resist teasing her sister by stating how Caroline has just managed to throw the flight crews' roster completely out of whack for the next several months, but Sam is genuinely happy for her sister and brother-in-law.

By the time the McGarrett's have gotten home and Emily has had her bath and has been put to bed by both her parents, not even the thought of having to unpack from her trip can diminish Sam's happiness. Placing some of her undies she didn't use on the trip back in their drawer, however, does the trick. Steve is in the bathroom brushing his teeth when he looks up into the bathroom mirror and sees his wife standing in the doorway from their bedroom holding some extremely sexy, black underwear in her hands and a strange expression on her beautiful face.)

"I see you got me a present while you were in Washington, Beautiful."

"These aren't mine, Steve. I found them in my lingerie drawer."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, these don't belong to me but they were in my lingerie drawer. Whose are they and how did they get in my lingerie drawer?"

"I have no idea who they belong to, Sam, or how they got there."

"Who's been in this house while I was gone?"

"No one other than Rosa, your mother, Emily, and me."

"Then it would appear that we've had a break-in only they didn't take anything but left something. Of course, you would have known immediately if someone had come into our home uninvited, and, since it doesn't appear that someone forced their way in here, whoever left these had to have been invited."

"What the Hell, Sam? You honestly think I invited another woman here and . . . I cannot believe this!"

"Then how did this lingerie get here, Steve?"

"I don't know, Sam, but you can bet your six I'm going to find out. Get dressed, Sweetheart, because a forensics team from H.P.D. will be here as soon as I can make a phone call."

Thirty minutes later, a team of evidence techs arrive at the McGarrett's and begin to dust for prints in the master bedroom and all doors into the house. Sam sits in one of the comfortable chairs in the sitting area of their bedroom and watches the whole thing with a kind of cool detachment. Steve, standing in a typical Alpha male stance, watches the evidence techs and his wife from the doorway between their bedroom and Emily's with a dark frown on his handsome face. By the time the evidence techs have finished and found that there are no fingerprints anywhere in the house or on the doors other than those of Sam, Steve, Emily, Rosa, and Libby, Steve is beyond pissed. The techs were nice enough to clean up after themselves, but feelings of anger that someone they don't know has been inside their home has greatly upset both Sam and Steve. Coming back upstairs after seeing the techs out, Steve finds Sam sitting right where he left her and he wordlessly walks over to her and extends his hand. After what seems like forever, Sam finally places her hand in his and allows him to pull her up and out of the chair and into his arms.)

"I'm sorry, Steve. I guess I'm just tired after being gone all week and then the long flight back her from Washington. I know you love me and would never even think about looking at another woman. I don't know what got into me."

"It's all right, Beautiful. You are tired and we've had a somewhat emotional evening. We'll get to the bottom of this, Sweetheart."

"I know. I love you, Steve, and I trust you with my life."

"I love you, too, Sam."

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: The length of this chapter is shorter than most but that's intentional. I hope you're all enjoying this story thus far and are as excited as I am that there are going to be two new little ones joining this Ohana. I have more interesting things planned for our happy, little group. Please let me know what you think of this story thus far. It makes me extremely happy to check my email and find new reviews! Thank you for reading! Michelle**


	8. Chapter 8

**PART III - CHAPTER EIGHT**

 **Title: "Salvation Series: It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"**

 **Author: Michelle Heath**

 **Rating: MA for adult situations and language**

 **Summary: Story #10 in the Salvation Series.**

 **Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-O; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!**

 **Date Written: March 25, 2017**

(Steve is in his office working at his desktop when his three co-workers get to the Palace the following morning. Kono, Danny, and Chin are all in extremely good moods because of the announcements that both Caroline and Lana are expecting, but their good moods are somewhat tempered by the fiercely dark scowl on Steve's face. The fact that he is so engrossed in what he's doing that he doesn't even acknowledge their presence causes all three of them to exchange a curious glance before they head toward Steve's office. Danny pushes the door open and they all three walk in but Steve still doesn't greet them. They've all seen him in moods like this before but it's always been when they were down to "crunch time" on a case. They all assume that a major break on their case has happened, and Danny asks the question they all want answered.)

"What came in on the case?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"That's what I said, Danny; nothing."

"Then what's got you so irritated, Steve?"

"Sam and I found a nasty, little surprise when we got home last night."

"What kind of surprise, Steve?"

"The kind that neither one of us appreciated, Kono."

"I don't know about Danny and Kono, but you're going to have to be a little more specific for me to get the whole picture."

"Sam waited until we got home from your house to unpack. While she was putting some things in her lingerie drawer, she found some very risqué underwear there that definitely does not belong to her. We don't know whose it is or how it got there. I had a team of H.P.D. evidence techs at our house dusting for prints but the only ones they found belonged to me, Sam, Emily, Libby, and Rosa; there were no signs of forced entry. I don't mind telling you that Sam and I were both beyond upset; especially since we had to get Emily's prints on a scanner for comparison. Thankfully, she slept through the whole thing, but the idea that someone has been in our house, in our bedroom, is alarming. In fact, there were a few minutes when Sam actually thought . . . I need to get to the bottom of this and I need to do it quickly."

"Absolutely. What do you need us to do?"

"I can't tell you why, but I have a feeling this has something to do with Melissa McCreedy Santos. Kono, do some digging and see what you can find out about her that we don't already know. Chin, please see what you can find out about what that woman's been up to the last couple of weeks."

(Kono and Chin immediately head into their own offices to get to work leaving Danny in Steve's office.)

"What do you want me to do, Steve?"

"Have a little talk with Ms. Santos. Call her and set up a meeting on the pretense that I asked you to follow-up with her and make sure she got everything she needed while she was here observing."

"And then casually mention your little surprise and see how she reacts?"

"Exactly. And Danny? If you think she _is_ involved in this, do whatever you have to do to break her. Sam and I . . I don't . . Damn."

"I've got your back, Steve, and you and Sam will be just fine; she knows you love her."

(Caroline Williams is on top of the world and is smiling as she drives to Sam's and Steve's house with a written request for her commanding officer. Her happy mood is somewhat tempered, however, when she sees her sister's face when Sam opens the front door to let her in. A huge smile breaks out on Sam's beautiful face when she sees her sister and hugs Caroline tightly. Knowing Sam well however, Caroline pulls back from her sister's embrace and searches her face.)

"What's wrong, Sam?"

"What could possibly be wrong, Caroline? You and Danny are having a baby and I'm getting a new niece or nephew."

"Sam."

"Is that your official request for non-flight status? What's the matter with me, of course, it is. Well give it here so I can approve it. I'm afraid that I'm going to take advantage of the fact that you aren't going to be flying for a while and hand off some of my paperwork to you. I think that's only fair since I'm going to have to fly with another RIO until you're cleared to fly again."

"I don't mind helping you with paperwork, Sam, but I want to know why you're upset and you're going to tell me. Now."

(And knowing that Caroline will not stop until she gets what she wants, Sam steps back and looks away for a moment before looking back at her sister. Caroline is surprised to see tears welling in Sam's emerald eyes and she grabs her sister's hand and tugs so that they are sitting on one of the sofas in the living room.)

"Sam?"

"We didn't want to be late getting to Lana's and Chin's last night so I waited until we got home after dinner to unpack from my trip to Washington. I found some really . . Suggestive underwear in my lingerie drawer that wasn't mine. Steve definitely didn't buy it for me, and I certainly didn't buy it for myself; it was . . Repulsive."

"How'd it get there? Who does it belong to?"

"We don't know. Steve had a team of evidence techs out here until one-thirty this morning dusting for prints and checking for signs of forced entry, but they found nothing."

"No wonder you're upset. Steve will figure this out; it will be fine."

"Yeah, see, that's the thing, Caroline. I'm not so sure it will be okay."

"Because?"

(And Caroline is totally unprepared for what happens next because Sam bursts into tears and starts trembling.)

"Sam, please tell me you didn't say or do something stupid last night."

"I'd had a long week in Washington, I was tired from the flight home, I was already emotional from finding out you and Lana were pregnant, and . . When I opened that drawer and saw those scraps of black silk I just . ."

"Sam, you know better than that! Steve McGarrett loves you more than anything or anyone in the world. He would never even think about cheating on you."

"I know that, and I apologized to Steve for even thinking that way, but . . He was so angry, Caroline, and I don't know if it was at the situation or . . Me."

"Yes, you do. I'm pretty sure he's just angry at whoever put those things in your drawer. That and the fact that someone was inside your house without permission."

"And _that_ is totally freaking me out. I feel violated."

"Well, of course, you do, Sweetie, that's understandable. This will be okay, Sam. You and Steve love each other too much to let something like this come between you."

"Caroline, can Emily spend the night with you and Danny tonight?"

"Of course. Planning something special for my brother-in-law?"

"Yep."

"Anything else I can do to help?"

"As a matter of fact, there is. Got anything planned for the day?"

"Nope."

"Good. I'm going upstairs and wake my daughter and explain to her that Mommy and Daddy are going to have a special night out since Mommy was gone all week and, then, I'm going to call Mom and see if she'll keep an eye on Em so you and I can go shopping."

"Go talk to Emily, and I'll call Mom. Just tread carefully, Sam; Emily really missed you while you were in Washington and now you're going to send her to our house overnight."

"I'm aware of that, Caroline, but Em's just going to have to understand that Mommy and Daddy need some time together without her right now. Besides, the way I hear it, her Uncle Danny has a way with her."

"That he does. Okay, then, let's get this op up and running, Commander."

"Aye, aye, Lieutenant."

(Steve keeps glancing from the clock to the doors to Five-O's office suite to his desktop screen impatiently while checking to see if any new information has come in on their trafficking case. Danny was able to contact Ms. Santos almost immediately and made arrangements to meet her at an outdoor restaurant close to her apartment. He's been gone over an hour and Steve is figuratively climbing the walls. No one is more important to him than Sam and the fact that someone is trying to drive a wedge between them has made him beyond furious. Kono, excitement written all over her face, hurries into Steve's office holding a file in her hands.)

"Find something, Kono?"

"You're damned right, I did! Melissa McCreedy Santos has been dating Ed Carstairs for the past six months."

"Excuse me?"

"I decided to dig deeper into that woman's financial records and, when I did, I found several credit card charges for rooms at various hotels on the island. I asked myself why the woman would need to stay in a hotel every so often when she has a perfectly nice apartment."

"Because she was having an affair with a married man and didn't want anyone to know."

"That's one theory, but something was nagging at me so I pulled up the financial data you ran on Ed Carstairs and found that there were charges from restaurants either in or near the same hotels on the same dates. So then, I called in a couple of favors and got security video from both the restaurants and hotels on the dates in question, and. . Here, let me show you."

(A few keystrokes later, Kono has pulled up split screen images on Steve's screen of Ms. Santos and Ed Carstairs dining together, walking down a hotel corridor with his arm around her waist, and, finally, kissing one another rather heatedly outside the door to a hotel room. If possible, Steve's frown has grown even darker.)

"Carstairs isn't married, Kono, so why would they go to all the trouble to meet at hotels?"

"He's the Special Agent In Charge of the Honolulu office of the F.B.I., she's a senior aide to a State Senator, they aren't ready to go public with their relationship, meeting in a hotel spices up the affair, I don't know, Steve, take your pick. The point is, they're definitely having an affair."

"And?"

"And, someone got into your house without forcing entry and left something in your wife's lingerie drawer. Santos was practically falling all over you while she was here and Carstairs would definitely have the know how to get in and out of your house with no one the wiser."

"Why would Carstairs risk his career to do something like that?"

"Because he's having an affair with Santos and she asked him to!"

"Not a good enough reason."

"How about this? If Sen. Barbara Mills manages to get elected to the Governor's office, she may not disband Five-O, but she definitely might fire any or all of us. She would then need to replace us and who better to head up her version of the task force that an F.B.I. agent with supervisory experience."

"Okay, but that still doesn't explain why Santos and/or Carstairs would break into our house and plant something unless . . Son of a bitch!"

"There's the Steve McGarrett we all know and love. Can't believe it took you this long to figure it out."

"Me, either. Go bring Chin up to speed while I see if I can get in touch with Danny."

(At this precise moment, Danny is sitting across the table from Melissa McCreedy Santos and feeling extremely frustrated. For the better part of an hour, he has been trying to steer their conversation from making sure she doesn't have any more questions or need any more information to the unauthorized entry into the McGarretts' home. Ms. Santos has been side-stepping him quite nicely and looks completely relaxed and at ease. Determined to get to the woman, he tries again.)

"I can't imagine what my wife would do if she came home from a trip and found strange lingerie in her drawer. She'd probably want to hurt someone, starting with me."

"I suppose any woman would, Det. Williams. Poor Mrs. McGarrett, that must have been quite the nasty shock. After all, she seems to be completely devoted to Cmdr. McGarrett and he to her, but, you know what they say, looks can be deceiving."

"Oh, he is devoted to his wife, Ms. Santos. As far as Steve is concerned, there's not another woman alive on the planet who can come anywhere close to Sam."

"Well, then, I'm so glad they have such trust between them. You don't find that to be the case too often these days. I'm sorry, Det. Williams, but I really must go. I'm meeting some old friends from out of town."

"I won't keep you then. Thank you for meeting me, Ms. Santos, and, if you happen to think of any questions you may have about the task force, please call."

(Twenty minutes later, Danny gets back to the office to find Steve, Kono, and Chin looking at something on the smart table. Steve looks up at him expectantly.)

"I got nothing, Steve; sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Danny. Kono found something."

(And after they bring Danny up to speed, he expresses what they're all thinking.)

"I think you're onto something. Question is, how do we prove it?"


	9. Chapter 9

**PART III - CHAPTER NINE**

 **Title: "Salvation Series: It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"**

 **Author: Michelle Heath**

 **Rating: MA for adult situations and language**

 **Summary: Story #10 in the Salvation Series.**

 **Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-O; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!**

 **Date Written: March 26, 2017**

(By mid-afternoon, Steve has come up with a game plan they all think is viable and Sam has just gotten home from her shopping trip with Caroline. Since they have no further information on the trafficking case and it _is_ Saturday, Steve tells everyone to go home; step away from things for a little while, and spend time with their spouses. Kono and Chin head right out but Steve has a couple of things he wants to finish in his office and Danny walks in and sits in one of the two chairs in front of Steve's desk while looking at his phone.)

"Hey, have you talked to Sam since this morning?"

"No. Why?"

"You were upset this morning because of what happened last night. I'm pretty sure Sam is just as upset. I know you're not angry with her and you know it, too, but does Sam know? I mean, from the way you described everything, she might have the mistaken impression that you're mad at her. I was thinking that, maybe, you should take her out to dinner or something."

"You know, Danny, that's not a bad idea."

"Okay, then. I'm going home to my wife. You need to do the same thing."

(When Steve gets home he is disappointed to see that Sam's Porsche is not in the driveway, but something is taped to the front door. Curious, he gets out of his truck, walks to the front door, and removes an envelope taped to it with his name written on the front in Sam's handwriting. Opening the envelope, a grin spreads across his face as he reads the note inside.

 _Sailor,_

 _I love you with all my heart and I always will. My behavior last night was completely unacceptable and I pray that you will forgive me. I honestly don't know what got into me, but I know I hurt you and I'm so sorry for causing you even a moment's pain. You are my other half, my best friend, and the most honorable man I know. I know that you love me and will never hurt me._

 _I also know that you will find whoever it was who came into our home and violated our sanctuary. I know that you will not stop until that person receives the punishment they deserve._

 _Saying I'm sorry seems so inadequate so I want to show you how much you mean to me. Come to the marina, Steve. Emily is spending the night with Caroline and Danny, and you and I are taking the boat out. We haven't done this in quite some time and we need this time together; just the two of us. I've already stocked that galley and have everything we'll need. Hurry, my love, I'm waiting for you._

 _Sam_

Moments later, Steve is on his way to the marina with a heart full of love for his beautiful wife and a sweet smile on his face.

Danny arrives home to find Caroline chasing Emily out in their backyard and both of them giggling happily. Smiling, he joins right in and scoops Emily up and into his arms.)

"Hello, Emily."

"Hello, Unka Danny! I spending the night with you and Aunt Carowin."

"That's great, Emily. Aunt Caroline and I always love having you spend the night with us."

"Sam and Steve are spending the night on the boat, Danny. Sam was feeling really badly about something that happened last night and she wanted to surprise Steve."

"Good. Steve's not feeling so good about last night himself. In fact, we spent most of the day trying to figure out who was in their house and why, and we think we have the answer."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I'll tell you all about it later after a certain young lady has gone to bed."

(Kono arrives home to find her husband and son engaged in a serious "training op". Apparently, one of Eric's stuffed bears is a tango, and Tony is explaining how to sneak up on the bad guy. Unable to control herself, Kono laughs out loud at Eric's attempt to belly-crawl toward the tango and this completely distracts her son who quickly runs over to his mother and rewards her with a big kiss on the cheek when she picks him up and hugs him tightly. The mock frown her husband sends her only makes her laugh that much more.)

"He almost had it, K. Our boy's going to make an excellent S.E.A.L. one day."

"He has a long way to go before that happens, Tony, and, unless I'm sadly mistaken, I believe our little Ninja needs a nap."

(And before the words are completely out of her mouth, Eric does, indeed, yawn. Putting him down for his nap, Kono returns to the den, throws her arms around Tony's neck, and proceeds to kiss him soundly. Being the highly intelligent S.E.A.L. that he is, Tony returns his wife's kiss before pulling back to look into her beautiful eyes.)

"Not that I'm complaining, K, but what was that for?"

"Do I need a reason to kiss you other than I just want to, Tony?"

"Of course not, Babe, but that wasn't just a kiss; it was a _K.I.S.S._!"

"I just wanted to show you how very much I love you."

"And I love you, too, Kono; always. What's up?"

(And after Kono brings Tony up to speed on recent events, he whistles softly.)

"I think you guys have hit the nail on the head. You said that Santos woman was up to no good and you were right. This has got to be driving both Sam and Steve crazy."

"Yep, but we're putting plain-clothes surveillance on both Santos and Carstairs, and we'll see what happens."

"What if nothing happens, K? You can't watch them forever."

"True, but that woman has an agenda, Tony, and, sooner or later, one or both of them is going to screw up."

"You didn't need this on top of the human trafficking thing. How's that going?"

"Nowhere right now. We've got feelers out world-wide, but no hits, yet. Known human traffickers are being watched, though, so we'll know if they do anything to suggest their starting up operations here."

(As soon as Chin got home, he and Lana went shopping and are now standing in a store specializing in infants and children furniture. Chin has told Lana about what happened at the McGarretts' the night before and what action they have taken to try and catch Santos and Carstairs, and Lana is indignant.)

"How dare that woman try to come between Sam and Steve? Just what is it she hopes to accomplish, anyway?"

"We think she's trying to cause a scandal involving the head of Five-O."

"Because doing so would cast a negative light on the task force and Gov. Jameson in return. That bitch!"

"Yeah, and, getting rid of Steve would open the door for Ed Carstairs to take over as head of the task force."

"You guys absolutely must get the evidence you need to put these people away, Chin. No one messes with my Ohana and gets away with it! No one!"

(Getting out of his car and walking into his house, Ed Carstairs quickly closes the blinds on his front windows and pulls out his cellular phone.)

"Hello?"

"We've got a problem. There are two H.P.D. detectives sitting in a car parked down the street watching my house."

"You said no one would ever know. Are you now telling me that you've been found out?"

"I left nothing to be found. There is no possible way that I can be tied to anything."

"Then why are the police watching you?"

"You tell me. What kind of game are you playing?"

"I'm not playing any kind of game, Special Agent Carstairs. If you're the one being watched, you must be the one who made a mistake. I strongly suggest that you 'lay low' for a while. Neither one of us can afford to be caught."

"Fine. Just remember that I can make sure you spend a lot of time in prison."

"You'll be spending a good bit of time there yourself if you aren't careful. I'm sure this will all blow over; they can't watch you forever."

(Steve steps onto his in-laws boat at the same exact moment Sam is coming up from the galley. Sam is wearing an emerald green bikini, and the sight of his beautiful wife causes a tightening in Steve's loins. Walking straight to Steve, Sam slides her arms around his neck and looks up at him with a very serious expression on her face. For a few moments, they simply look at one another and their eyes do all the talking. Ever so slowly, Steve tightens his arms around Sam and bends his head to kiss her. Finally pulling back, he smiles at her and, by silent, mutual agreement, they go about casting off the tie lines and Steve expertly maneuvers the boat out of the marina and into open water. When they have reached one of their favorite spots for diving, Steve quickly changes into swim trunks while Sam readies their tanks. Coming back topside, he pulls her to him and kisses her again before reassuring her with words as well as actions.)

"I love you, Sam, and I always will. I need you more than I need my next breath."

"I know that, Steve. I knew it last night, and I am beyond ashamed of myself."

"Sam, we've both been under a lot of pressure these past few weeks, and I think we both need to cut ourselves some slack."

"Can you ever forgive me?"

"I'll make you a deal. I'll forgive you if you'll forgive yourself."

"Deal."

"Good. Now, I know you've got the tanks ready to go diving, but I think we should delay that for a little while. I've got something in mind that will definitely relieve some stress for both of us."

(Melissa McCreedy Santos is worried. Ed Carstairs called her twenty minutes ago to tell her that he was being watched by H.P.D. and, after looking out the upstairs window of her bedroom, she found that she, too, is being watched. Carstairs was not pleased when she called him back with this news, and he told her that they needed to stay away from each other for a little while as well as cut back on their phone conversations. Although she didn't say anything to him, she is concerned that he left some evidence of his presence in the McGarretts' house, and that they are going to be found out. The cold knot of dread in her stomach only grows bigger when her cellular phone rings and Sen. Mills' number pops up on caller I.D. Taking a deep breath in an effort to sound calm and cool, she hits the answer button.)

"Good afternoon, Senator."

"Is it, Melissa?"

"Ma'am?"

"Is it a good afternoon? Are you aware that Special Agent E Carstairs is under surveillance by detectives from the Honolulu Police Department? Are you aware that there are detectives watching your apartment, as well?"

"How did you . .?"

"I make it my business to know what's going on with people who work for me! You assured me that you could take care of Cmdr. McGarrett without anything being traced back to me, and you have obviously failed!"

"Senator, I haven't failed! This is just a . . A temporary setback. I swear to you that there is nothing to tie either you or Special Agent Carstairs or me to Cmdr. McGarrett."

"I hope you're right, Melissa, because things can become very unpleasant for you very quickly if I am implicated in any illegal activities in any way. What are you planning to do to fix this?"

"Special Agent Carstairs and I are going to stop seeing one another or having any contact for a while. We're both simply going to go about our business as usual. H.P.D. cannot watch us forever and, when they pull the surveillance, I will take care of Cmdr. McGarrett. When I'm through, he won't be able to get a job as a dog catcher."

"Hear me and hear me well, Melissa. I intend to win the next gubernatorial election by any means necessary. Once I am in the Governor's office, I will be in a position to help you and Carstairs achieve your goals, as well. However, if either one of you does anything to screw up my plans, you will find yourselves rotting in a prison cell for quite some time. Another thing, don't think, for one second, that you're the only ones who will pay the price for betraying me. I have enough evidence to destroy your parents, as well, and I won't hesitate to use it if becomes necessary. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am."


End file.
